I got you
by Inamioly
Summary: Post 4x14. Daryl reunites with some prison members and refuses to give up on Beth. "(...) did he want to kiss her? Yes. Did he want her to kiss him? Most definitely. Did he feel good about it? He groaned. Unquestionably… not." Some fluff and slow romance, but hey, we kinda need it, me thinks.
1. Chapter 1

Daryl tossed and turned in his sleep. His mind, exhausted as it may have been, was filled with screams and muffled cries, and the sound of screeching tires kept tearing at his sanity. Who'd have known – humans and zombies now inhabited the Earth, and out of both of them, the walking dead ended up being the least dangerous.

Two weeks had passed since the night of Beth's kidnapping. Daryl had been adopted by a new group, and it hadn't been long before they caught up with other prison members: Rick, Carl, Michonne and Glenn. Their groups had found each other halfway to Terminus, and the reunion had been everything but tearful. They had been on the new world long enough to know how to deal with loss; there had been no tears since none of them had wanted to feel abandoned and alone in the first place, shutting down every emotion. They all hugged Daryl, even Michonne, and he'd hugged them all back, a sigh of relief escaping his voiceless throat. Since that fateful afternoon, they had all enjoyed each other's company, never taking it for granted, focusing on the days to come and… on getting Beth back.

As Daryl informed them of what had happened, his eyes absent and his tone dead, Glenn and Carl's eyes filled with tears that never fell, and Rick swore loudly and kicked a stomp hard enough to make it move. The redneck never looked them in the eyes, not wanting to see the accusatory looks he knew they'd be sending their way, and fought to keep any emotion out of his face. He wanted to scream, punch someone, slaughter a walker… but he wanted, most of all, to breathe.

He walked around with a lump in his throat and a focused gaze, as if the leaves on the trees would give him some clue as to where Beth had been taken to. The outsiders left the prison members to themselves, save a few times when they requested Rick or Daryl to go hunt for food – rabbits or squirrels that never actually were for anyone but Joe's group - , and they honoured the simple requests: if they wanted to be relatively left alone to their own business, they had to lay low and be the least bit cooperative.

They ended up being quite a large group, all in all. They could camp wherever they wanted since they always had three or four people available to stay on watch, and the more they neared Terminus, the higher their spirits were. Daryl and Rick actually were hoping to get there sooner than later: for Beth to have been taken in such close proximity to the supposed sanctuary was a little suspicious… there was a high chance the nlonde had been taken there. Whoever took her had a car with gas, and they were organized enough to gather up some walkers to scare a bunch of nobodies, pillage their house and take one of them. It was incredibly unlikely that there were two groups that organized and demanding in terms of resources nearby… there was bound to be some conflict, and so far they hadn't seen any signs of that.

As the recent events, all scrambled up for added effect, haunted Daryl's restless sleep, Rick and Glenn kept watch. They'd been slower than they would have liked for the past few days: one of Abraham's men had been injured, and the entire group had had to adjust their pace accordingly. The Asian glanced at the frowning redneck.

"Wonder what he keeps dreamin'about." He murmured to Rick.

The other man shrugged. "Who knows what they went through. He was bound to have more than a few scars."

Glenn fell silent and glanced into the darkness that surrounded the trees in front of them. "I think he misses her."

Rick nodded. "We all do."

"You know what I meant."

"I do." He agreed and sighed. "This world is more than a little bit screwed up. Daryl keeps getting the curve ball… he deserves to get something good for a change."

They all welcomed the silence that came with the realization of how alone they really were. Gleen had seen Maggie's message, but didn't really know for sure that she had arrived to her destination. A shudder creeped up his spine at the mere thought… And Rick – well, Rick had been stuffing down his feelings, not unlike a child, afraid of the devastating pain that he knew would come with truly facing Judith's death. He wasn't ready to give up on her, and he was even less ready to deal with the aftermath of such a grasp. They stood there, almost completely motionless, for countless minutes; it could have been an hour, two, they didn't know. They only knew that the noise they heard next wasn't from the wind blowing in the trees.

"D'you hear that?" Rick whispered, getting on his feet. Gleen followed him, and they heard the traps shrieking with noise – their intensity seemed enough to wake the rest of them, but no-one else moved a muscle, and they didn't sound the alarm since they didn't think there were more than a couple of walkers. "Stay behind me."

Glenn snorted and walked beside him towards the noise, knife in hand. "Now what?"

"On my count…" Rick murmured. "One… two…"

"D- Da… ryl?"

Both men gasped in shock and glanced around them. "Beth?" Glenn asked, tentatively. "Beth, is that you?"

The sound had come from the bushes in front of them, and so they approached them, with a mix of excitement and apprehension. They heard a sob and a strangled call. "Daryl?"

"Beth, honey, it's us. Show yourself." Rick instructed gently.

"Rick?" She mumbled, and the bushes moved ever so slightly.

"Yeah, girl. Come on, we're right here."

They waited, and all of a sudden Beth crawled from under the dense leaves, her head so low it barely didn't touch the muddy grass. Wincing, she lifted her head so she'd face them, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. "I… I lost D- Daryl. I'm… sorry." And her trembling voice transformed into full-scale crying.

TWD

Beth had fainted from exhaustion not long after starting to cry, and Rick had carried her to camp with Glenn watching out for walkers and resetting the traps she'd damaged. He laid her carefully in a dirty blanket near where the fire had been, and sat on a stomp watching her with sad eyes.

TWD

The sun appeared, shy as it had been for the last couple of days, and with it Rick and Glenn's shift ended and Daryl's begun. He began to stir as soon as he felt warm rays touching his hands, but a firm shake did the job a lot quicker.

"What'a…?" He grumbled with only one eye open.

"Beth's here."

Those simple words were as efficient as a bolt through his heart. He opened both eyes with such force and speed that he felt lightheaded. Eyeing Rick as if he were crazy, he shook his head. "That can't be. Those damned fuckers took'er."

"You taught her well. She found us last night." The other man spoke calmly, watching out for any reaction on his behalf. Daryl stared at him, confused, and then disbelieving, settling with hopeful eyes.

"She ain't dead?"

Rick smiled, and then frowned. "She's very much alive, but in bad shape. They really did a number on'er."

Daryl got up and glanced around, his gaze falling on her tiny body. "Beth…" He sighed, the reality of the situation dawning on him. He slowly turned to face Rick, an angry glare on his face. "You had'er all night and just thought to tell me now?"

"You needed the sleep…"

"I can sleep whenever. She fucking needed me. I ain't good for much, but I can at least…" He lost breath as he saw her move weakly and try to stand up. Sprinting carelessly across camp, mindless of who he woke in the process, he fell to his knees in front of her. "Beth."

The young girl had trouble keeping her eyes open, and her feverish cheeks were wrinkled at the sound of his voice. A confused frown graced her features, and the blonde, as if she didn't dare hope, pursed her trembling lips.

"Damn it. I'm sorry, sweet'art." He touched her hair. "I'm sorry I let'em take you."

"I'm… dead…" He heard her mumble, and he barked a relieved laugh.

"No, you ain't. You escaped. You're one tough little bird."

"Ain't… little." She tried to scowl, and he just fondled her cheek, chuckling.

"That you ain't." He shook his head.

Beth moved closer to his hands. Her whole body lifted so she could be comfortable and place her head on his lap. She then whispered, as if it were a shameful secret. "Was so scared. And… 'm not good." Tears started falling, and she hid her face in Daryl's leg.

"Non'o'that matters now." He stroked her hair. "You're here now."

He let her cry. He was sure his pants were now flooded with her tears and quiet sobs, but he just let her get it out of her system, while he himself put some of his broken pieces back together. She wasn't dead. He hadn't killed her. They had another chance at living. And he had another chance at keeping her safe.

Daryl closed his eyes. Some people were starting to wake up, and he felt his newly found control slowly creeping away from him again. Soon everyone would be asking for Beth, and checking up on her, and she'd be taken away from him in a second. As if on cue, Beth's sobs halted and she sat up slowly, wincing as she had to stretch her back.

"Hey, hey, lay back down, missy." Daryl told her with gentle firmness.

"Don't want you to disappear on me again." She told him, attempting a defying look, but coming up empty: all he saw was a scared girl who didn't trust anymore. She didn't trust her surroundings, the people she saw around her, and she didn't trust him to stay with her without vanishing into thin air. He looked away from her, the guilt suddenly unbearable.

She smiled a sad, nervous smile. "I don't blame you, Daryl. You're my person. I just don't want the bad people to keep you away from me again."

"They're all good people, darlin'." He mumbled, still staring at the sky. Though he couldn't vouch for every single one of the new guys, he'd had enough proof to consider them friendly, at the very least.

"I don't believe it."

And with that, Daryl wondered how they had broken her. Her brow was constantly furrowed, and her eyes had lost the glimmer he always enjoyed waking up to. He lifted one hand to her cheek. "Sweet'art, I got your back."

She gulped and fought back the tears. "You promise?"

"Com'ere."

The redneck rested his back against a tree and pulled her close. She sat between his legs and he hugged her from behind, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. As the new guys came to see her, and as Carl and Michonne realized she was there, he could feel her flinch every time one of them approached her. Then, he would whisper in her ear, "It's okay.", and all the while wonder what the hell she had gone through the past couple of weeks.

"I got you."

**A/N: So? What did you think? I'd love it so much if the show did something even just remotely similar to this… I mean, I want romance, people, and they keep on giving us these cliffhangers and expecting us to be quite content with just them xD**

**Well, I want some serious Bethyl action! **


	2. Chapter 2

Beth had trouble keeping her eyes open the entire day. Daryl held her for the longest time, soothing her as everyone kept hovering and wanting to know how she was. All she knew was her head throbbed painfully every time she opened her eyes, her knees were scratched so badly she couldn't really move her legs in fear of the rough fabric of her pants scratching them even deeper, and her chest was compressed with silent screams and hopelessness.

She hated feeling clingy. It was so very un-survivor-like, and she wanted nothing but to convince Daryl and everyone she was finally one of them. She wanted to tell him how she left a man for dead… with a knife-wound she herself had delivered. She wanted him to know how she'd tracked him, not really believing he was still alive, but nonetheless following the breadcrumbs he'd inadvertently left her. A rabbit's ear… she chuckled to herself as she remembered the first time she'd caught up with him, sort of. It gave her hope. She thought it would be amusing to keep it, so she could show him later, but then it occurred to her that it would mean more hope than she could bear. Yeah, she never really believed he was alive. Not because she thought he couldn't handle himself – let's face it, if anyone was going to survive, it would be him - , but because it would be quite a wish to come true. And Beth wasn't used to her wishes coming true. Not anymore.

She sighed. Needing Daryl by her side to get some good sleep was unnerving. Out there, when they'd been alone, even if the nights when they slept next to each other were less than half, she always knew he'd be nearby. Not only nearby – he'd be watching over her. And even if she didn't think she needed watching over, she always enjoyed the sense of security he gave her. It was almost as if he was allowing for her to explore in peace, learning how to fend for herself, in case he wasn't there to protect her one day. Now… now she knew she could protect herself. But it didn't mean she wanted to. She knew it was selfish of her to want Daryl to do the dirty work for her, but the unexpected helplessness that came with fighting for her life terrified her.

Daryl had been requested by the angry cave men, as she called them, and reluctantly left her with Michonne and Carl. The boy had a protective hand over her foot, keeping a respectful distance as he noticed how on edge she was, and Michonne didn't know whether to go help the rest of the group or keep her safe. By the look on her face, Beth guessed she must have been a wreck, with her hair all over her bruised face and her attempting of a grin being more of a pained grimace.

"You rest now." Michonne told her solemnly.

Beth needn't be told twice. She didn't know if he'd done it on purpose, but Daryl had left his vest over her legs. She grabbed a piece of it, as if it was guaranteed that he'd come back for it, and allowed her eyes to close at last. The hurt in her head subsided quite a bit, and she heaved a sigh. It wasn't long before she fell into a dreamless sleep.

TWD

Daryl couldn't quite believe his ears. He had been called by Joe and the others to attend a reunion that, quite frankly, sounded like shit. They had gathered on the opposite side of the camp, the furthest away from Beth possible, and they sat clumsily together with faces that wore everything, from boredom to contempt.

"You kiddin' me? You kiddin' me, right?"

"I wish, son." Joe stated, looking everything but sorry.

"Ya can all go to hell."

He started to get up, anger rising in his chest, but then he felt Rick's hand on his shoulder. "Just hear'em out, Daryl."

"You too?" Daryl snapped at him, incredulous. "Thought ya'd have a bit more loyalty in ya than that."

Rick huffed. "Of course not. I'm just saying they kinda have a point, there. We can't stay here for long. And we certainly can't stay here until Beth can stand on her feet. The girl's…"

"I know how she is." He bit back. "I'm not leavin'er behind. That's…" He shook his head and passed a nervous hand through his hair. "That's not even an option, man."

"No-one's saying that." Glenn intervened. "At least, I hope no-one's saying that." He eyed everyone warningly. "Because I ain't leaving her behind either."

"None of us are." Rick spoke up, his voice final, and he stared the leaders in the eye. "We'll just have to adjust."

"_Adjust_ even more?" Len snickered at the word. "Why don't we just offer bits of ourselves to the walkers, then? It'd go quicker."

Joe punched his arm. "No need to get snarky." He nodded at Rick. "Be ready to leave in an hour. With or without the girl. I don't care."

Daryl let them go their way to pack their stuff and took a moment to breathe. Glenn and Rick glanced worriedly at him, and then they also stood up.

"You comin'?"

"Gimme a minute'ere." He motioned for both men to go.

Beth was in no condition to walk. She wasn't even fit enough to stand on her own. He knew they'd want to cover a great length of the way today, and it was just impossible for Beth to keep up. He thought of the frail looking girl with tough eyes, and he wondered what she would feel when he told her she'd have to wear herself out today because a bunch of stupid jerks were in a rush to get to a supposed sanctuary no-one even knew existed for real?

He grabbed a rock and threw it into a tree. It didn't make him feel any better.

Screw them. He'd carry her himself if he had to. She was coming with them, and she didn't have to move a muscle. He owed her that much.

TWD

Beth found herself being awakened before she got any decent amount of sleep, and couldn't help the grumpy edge to her voice.

"Lemme be…"

"Wakey, wakey, sweet'art. Gotta go." Daryl's voice made her smile the least bit until she registered the meaning of his words.

She frowned, confused. "Go where?"

He shrugged. "Someplace else." He stroked her cheek. "C'mon, girl."

Beth sighed and finally opened her eyes. "Daryl… I can't come."

"Wat'cha talkin'bout?" He lifted her head and gave her a sip of water, which she gladly accepted. She wet her lips with her tongue, and the satisfied smile that followed was quickly replaced with a trembling one.

"I… I'll meet ya later. Just gotta, y'know, get back on my feet first."

"Don't'ya be talking nonsense, now. C'mon, hop up." He grabbed her by the arms, ignoring her pained winces.

"I'm never gonna keep up with ya. Just…" And then she stopped to really look at him and his fond smile, which he quickly masked, clearing his throat. "Hop where?"

He grinned. "Well, my back, what'd'ya wanna hop?"

A faint blush tinged her cheeks, and he was secretly glad to see some color in her face. "No, Daryl, you ain't gonna carry me all the way."

"Since ya can't walk, I ain't really got much of a choice, do I?" His tone was playful, but he could see it was bothering her. She looked close to tears again, and angry at herself for wanting to cry.

"I'm… I'm not helpless, Daryl!" She cried, only it wasn't as loud as she'd hoped. She groaned in frustration. "I got… all the way up here… and I did it alone." She sobbed, but before she could wipe her tears, he cleaned her face with his sleeve.

"Honey…" She looked away from him, and he grabbed her chin, forcing her to stare at him in the eyes. "Honey, just liss'en to me. I know you can do it. I ain't saying you're helpless, defenceless, or any less capable than all of us. I think ya proved yourself already, don't'ya?" Not that she needed to. It nearly broke him to see her so rebellious, so untrusting, and yet so in need of a decent hug. "But you takin' care of yerself don't mean I want to do it myself any less. I still wanna protect ya. And I really want ya to let me."

And he suddenly appeared quite vulnerable, perhaps more than he intended.

"You want to protect me?" Beth whispered. "Why?"

Shrugging, he looked away. "Dunno."

"Don't _dunno_ me." She smiled sadly. "I just wanna be sure you don't just feel guilty. 'Cause if I'm here at all, it's because of you. You made me survive. And you made me a survivor."

Daryl cleared his throat and reluctantly looked at her. "Ya really mean that?"

And in that moment Beth knew how much he had blamed himself. She took in his lost look, masked with a hard frown, and motioned for him to turn around. She touched his shoulder. "Now how d'ya expect me to climb with your bow already in my comfy seat?" She joked softly.

He chuckled and moved his bow to his chest. "Hop up."

She did as he asked and settled with her chin near his neck. "I hear I'm kinda heavier than I look. Just thought I'd tell ya."

He laughed. "And you're just telling me that now? Ya sneaky girl."

"Can't really afford to lose a piggyback." She kissed his cheek, and he felt his face go warm. "You're the best, Daryl Dixon."

He tilted his head to the side ever so subtly, so as to brush Beth's face. "You ain't so bad yourself, sweet'art." He started walking, and before he reached an expectant Rick, he murmured. "I missed you when you were gone."

She sighed, contently, closing her eyes. "I told ya."

He snorted fondly and tickled her foot. "Know-it-all."

**A/N: So? I wasn't supposed to continue the one-shot, but not only I felt inspired by the story in my mind, but it also got a great response from you guys!**

**I can stop here, or I can keep going. What do you guys think? Tell me if liked it, loved it, hated it ;)**

**Kisses*****


	3. Chapter 3

The other members of the large group had been wary, to say the least, about Daryl's suggestion. Should a walker appear from out of nowhere, both Daryl and Beth would be at a greater risk because he was carrying her. Also, the redneck was one of their top gunners, and the entire group suffered with his less than okay condition. Beth could see the looks some of the men threw her way, and even the girls from Abraham's group shot her a glare or two. Whenever Daryl caught one of them staring, he'd squeeze her foot teasingly and ask her a stupid question to get her attention somewhere else.

"You a dog person?" He asked as he threw Eugene a murderous glare.

"Kinda." Beth sighed. She knew what he was doing. Tightening her grip on his neck, she massaged it with her thumbs, mind absently. She didn't even want to think about the tiredness he must be feeling, what with having to carry her on his back for more than three hours. Nonetheless, he never complained, and he always found a way to keep her entertained. She'd dozed off for a while, she didn't know how long, and she'd heard him shouting to another man to keep his bitching low. Then she'd woken up, and laughed fondly on the inside at how clumsily thoughtful he could be. "I like all animals… except fish." She made a face, and he laughed.

"You ain't a fish person?"

"Bah, nope, they creep me out." She shuddered. "What about you?"

"Eh, I'm a dog person all'e way." Daryl smirked. "Could always find a four-legged friend wherever I went with Merle. An'at least they were far better company than'e ol'man."

"Oh." She mused. "No surprise there. I always pictured you liking dogs."

"Humm."

The blonde rested her chin on his head and closed her eyes, thinking. She opened them as she heard footsteps coming her way. Carl had disengaged himself from his father's shadow, much to the latter's dismay and concern, and had gone to keep Beth and Daryl company.

"How you feeling, Beth?" The young boy smiled.

"Much better."

"Better 'nough to walk, missy?" Daryl asked her with a playful smirk.

She poked his shoulder. "That ain't the gentlemen way, Daryl Dixon."

"It's not that I don't fancy ya all to myself, but…"

Beth smirked right back. "Oh, so you do fancy it?"

Daryl shook his head, confused and certain that her teasing tone had more to it than it seemed. The ladies were confusing that way, and he'd been trapped by one using only his words against him. "Ya lost me there, girl. Don't even remember what I said."

Beth chuckled and patted his neck in mocking reassurance. "Sure thing, mister."

"Now, stay still if ya don't want me to tickle you to Friday and back. Got your toes right'ere." He threatened, and she hid her face in his hair, mumbling a _yes sir_ that earned her a frisky squeeze of her shin.

TWD

They'd stopped to rest for an hour, and Beth was feeling the horrible headache once again. This time it had announced itself along with some dizziness and nausea, which she only supposed were due to the dehydration she was still suffering from. Daryl had laid her carefully on a pile of fluffy leaves, and she'd slept throughout their break.

When they decided to start walking again, she was far too tired to enjoy Daryl and Carl's efforts in keeping her spirits elevated. They soon realized she was about to doze off, and this time for a longer period of time, and so they had to come up with a plan to keep her attached to Daryl's back. Michonne was the one who came up with the idea. She offered that Daryl put on her bagpack, and Beth would also put it on her back. Then she would be way safer and less prone to falling.

They walked in silence for a while, each group close to their own, until it was finally sundown and they knew they wouldn't be walking much more. Michonne walked alongside Daryl, who was becoming increasingly tired, though he would never admit it.

"You want me to carry her for a while?" She offered silently. Rick was playing _20 questions_ with Glenn and Carl.

"Nah, we're almost stopping." He shook his head. "But thanks."

Michonne assented and kept walking in silence, always on alert for the both of them.

"Ya reckon there's still a long way to go?"

"To Terminus?"

"Yeah." His voice was firm, but she was observant enough to denote some concern in his tone.

"No idea. Hope not."

"Yeah." He sighed. Beth mumbled something in her sleep, snuggling in closer so that she was breathing into his ear. "Beth needs a doctor."

Michonne said nothing, but he could tell that she agreed with him. Everyone could see how weak the blonde was, even after resting for almost an entire day. Her hands trembled even when holding nothing but her bones. Her lips were swollen, and he was fairly sure she'd been nursing a fever for a while now. He could only guess what her captors had done to her physically, but he could feel her flinch every time he had to go a little bit faster, or jump over a fallen log, or something of the sorts. He was only thankful that her newly found independency had still allowed her to accept his help, or else he would have been far more devolved watching over her than he was now. He needed to be the one protecting her; it was the only way he would feel like he was doing enough.

"Hey." Michonne called him back to reality. "They're stopping now."

They'd reached a clearing - quite a big one - , and Michonne gestured towards a soft spot without any rocks and only grass. "Lay her down here. And you go lie down yourself. I got your shift today."

Daryl frowned, immediately shaking his head. "No way."

"Yes, way." She rolled her eyes. "Now, give her some water and some berries, get some yourself, and go to sleep." She patted his shoulder. "You did good, Dixon."

TWD

The camp had been set. Daryl had had Carl place a dirty blanket on the ground, and then carefully laid down Beth, who only stirred in her sleep. It must have been some decent sleep, for she kept her eyes closed until he returned with some food and water. He woke her up and she eagerly accepted the red berries, smiling a lazy smile. She then laid back down, and motioned for him to go lie down beside her.

"Like ol'times." She'd murmured sleepily.

Daryl knew she felt safer with him around. He knew she liked to feel him near her, so she didn't feel so alone. She always held on to a piece of clothing of his in her sleep. He just hadn't known he needed her just as much… probably more. He never really liked waking up alone, and she always had a smile for him in the mornings.

As she felt him comply, she said quietly. "Thank you for today."

He yawned and nodded, tired. "Don'mention it."

"I have to. If I don't say it, you won't believe it." They had barely a palm between them, but she still got closer – close enough so that their arms touched. She was lying on her back, and he was lying on his stomach, one arm under his head for support. "You're so good. Makes me sad that you don't know it."

"Sayin'it don't make it true." He shrugged, though she could see he had blushed.

"No." She smiled sweetly, and he felt himself gazing at her. It was moments like this that gave him hope that she hadn't lost all of her innocence to those fucking bastards. She still had some of it left, and when she let herself care, it showed in everything she did. She could even make him feel… what was it, relaxed? _Kinda _happy? He snorted on the inside. As if.

Daryl felt his eyes closing, worn out from the day. He heard her murmur. "Daryl?"

"Yeah?" He felt her fingers lacing with his, and he, surprised, turned to lay on his back, finding her with a sheepish, almost shy smile.

"I want to say thank you."

"Ya did already, girl. Now, go to sleep. I need ya well-"

She approached him rather slowly – or so had it seemd to him. Her lips were slightly parted, and her expression carried a mix of curiosity and intent. She stopped midway, and then lunged forward as if afraid she wouldn't have the courage to do it any other time.

The kiss was short and sweet. He had his eyes closed the entire time, and felt out of breath afterwards. She retreated, and he felt her resting her head on his stretched arm. Soon afterwards, the content sigh that escaped her lips told him she'd fallen asleep, and he felt brave enough to open his eyes.

Kissing the tip of her nose, he himself fell asleep within minutes, but not without whispering, still somewhat in awe at the events. "Goodnight, sweet girl." Yeah, she kinda made him happy.

**A/N: What'cha thinkin'? Hihi. I love how innocent they are, in all their awkwardness and loveliness.  
On another topic, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! I'll keep writing for as long as I can, and I hope you keep on enjoying the story. Kisses *****


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: First of all, a huge thanks to all of you who reviewed, favorited and followed this story! It truly is amazing! Second of all, I'd like to address some of the reviews personally. There was a mistake (ups :p) in the description of the story, since it said it was complete, because it was only going to be a one-shot, but then I decided to write some more, and forgot to change it. So sorry! Then I'd like to address the fact that Beth seems so weak: she was held a prisoner for God knows how long (I do, hihi, and I'll tell you in due time), and then she was all alone for quite a few days… that's bound to take a toll on her sanity, even if just a little bit (she was, after all, one of the most innocent characters).**

**So… that's what I wanted to make clear. Bear with me, I'm not that good with long stories, but I'm really trying to make this one a good one ;) All the suggestions will be highly appreciated, and all the reviews were amazing! Truly! It's so awesome to see a story take flight like this one :D Kisses, enjoy!**

Three days passed ever since that fateful night. Beth got stronger and stronger, and her fever broke down at the end of the second day. To everyone else, everything seemed to be finally coming into place. But not to Beth, and certainly not to Daryl.

Beth dreamt of the kiss every single night after it happened. All the dreams ended the same way: Daryl rejected her, and she was left there, all alone, in the middle of a forest that looked suspiciously like the one they were in, sad as she had never been before. She felt such a girly girl. Especially because nothing like that had happened. The morning after they kissed, Daryl had woken up earlier than usual, left her his vest covering her shoulders and neck, and she hadn't seen him until he came to give her a piggyback ride – which offered her quite enough time to give a crimson tone to her cheeks and to grasp the horrible realization that she had, well, kissed Daryl Dixon. Every time she thought about it, she gasped in embarrassment and hid her face, even when she knew no-one was looking. It was, to say the very least, frustrating. When he finally did come to – literally - pick her up, she accepted his offer politely and without staring him in the eyes. The whole walk was awkward, and Carl was the only one talking. Later that evening, they heard him ask Rick if extreme exhaustion could rob people of their ability to talk, and if it was in any way contagious.

Now, three days later, with Beth already on her feet and graciously walking beside all of them with more energy than Carl – except for the few times when her bruised legs and stomach throbbed painfully from tiredness, not that she'd ever admit it - , they found a safe-looking river and decided to camp there for the night.

TWD

Daryl Dixon groaned to himself for the umpteenth time that day. Or at least he thought he did – it was only when Rick eyed him questioningly that he realized he might not have been as quiet as he previously thought. As they stopped near the shallow river, he kicked a rock into the water and all eyes fell on him. He shot everyone an apologetic glance, and slapped the back of his head mentally. What the hell was wrong with him these days?

Beth. Beth Greene was what was wrong with him. As much as it killed him to admit it, he hadn't been able to think about anything else but the sweet kiss she'd planted on his lips, unannounced as a ray of sun on a rainy day. He'd gone to sleep happy, and woken up terrified. It had just been too much in very little time. With the small, cheerful blonde, he always felt like he was on a rollercoaster… and it terrified him.

He had always been taught not to care; when you care, bad things tend to happen, and good people tend to disappear: they either died on their own, or got killed, especially these days. But then Beth had stormed into his life, all bubbly and hopeful, and he'd gotten used to being just the tiniest bit happier when she was around. Well, turns out happiness was kind of addictive: when Beth got kidnapped, his sole reason to smile went away with her. And he had to deal with a sense of failure that overpowered his entire being. Where did he go next? What would he do? Why would he even do anything? She was probably… hum, he still couldn't say it. She could have fucking died, and it would have been all his fault.

Then she came back. Beth came back to him, barely scratched compared to what had been going through his mind, and he got a second chance. A second chance to protect her, and, let's face it… a second chance to be happy. It didn't bother him at all that she had depended so much on him the first few days; it would have bothered him a hell of a lot if she hadn't let him be there for her.

And then there was the kiss. Way to get things all scrambled up, sweet'art. Way to pick up on the tiny smiles he sent her way and hoped she never got their meaning. Way to read his thoughts, and choose the ones that pleased her the most – did he want to kiss her? Yes. Did he want her to kiss him? Most definitely. Did he feel good about it? He groaned. Unquestionably… not.

The worst thing about it, though, had been the sudden distance between them. With Beth able to walk on her feet, he walked around always glancing her way, always on alert, and always on edge. He had no claim to her, now, at the lack of a better way to phrase it, and he had no excuse to spend time with her. She was okay, and he was with the guys. And she'd kissed him, and he knew that if he got near her he'd kiss her back.

He sat down on the grass, the chill breeze cooling his thoughts. No matter how hard she tried to convince him otherwise, he knew he wasn't a good man. He knew he was no good for her, and no amount of words could change his opinion. And even if he felt deserving of her in such a way, there was still the matter of his age. They were living in a different world now, surely enough, but he couldn't shake the thought of any eventual relationship with Beth being made into a paria by the community. She didn't deserve it, and he wasn't about to commit the ultimate selfish act and give into temptation. He would just focus on making her happy. And, at the end of the day, that would mean he was happy as well. As long as she kept smiling at him, he would be okay with whatever life brought him.

That's happiness for you.

TWD

He walked right past her. As they were ready to set up camp, he went past her as if he hadn't seen her, but stopped midway. Sighing, he walked a few steps back to where she had stopped to stare at him. His eyes met hers, and he ignored the confused look she was giving him. "Glad to see ya well." Pinching her cheek, between fond and playful, he all but sprinted towards Rick and Glenn.

TWD

Beth set up camp with Michonne and Carl. There was no reason for her to keep her stuff next to Daryl's now, since there was another girl in the group. The Beth they knew would have been more comfortable near her than she ever would near Daryl. Not that anyone said anything… they simply gave her the options, and Daryl not speaking up in her behalf kind of spoke volumes. She had completely and utterly ruined everything with her feverish kiss.

"Michonne?" She asked, distractedly, while helping them clean the grass from all the rocks and roots that would hurt their backs if they slept on them. The older woman had just returned from talking with all the men, and brought bits of cooked rabbit for them to chew on.

"Yeah?"

Beth blushed a little, and Carl pretended he didn't notice, but smirked at Michonne, who already had a pretty good idea of what the talk would be about, and kind of welcomed the distraction. With Beth showing up all bruised, and Daryl being a wreck, they needed some uplifting. "How d'ya know…" She cleared her throat and sat down, looking at her knees. "How d'ya know when a guy likes you back? Y'know…"

Michonne snorted. "They act like complete assholes, for starters." She eyed the blonde curiously. "But you've had boyfriends before. Surely you already know that."

"W-Well, just two…" She stuttered. "And there are guys… and _guys_. Y'know."

Michonne laughed. "I do know. And I could be here all day, and all night, trying to explain you all the ways he likes you." Beth's eyes widened in embarrassment and she choked on air. "But that would be a waste o'time, since I know for a fact he likes you back."

Beth turned crimson and coughed, solemn, trying to hide her face from the both of them. "I think you misinterpreted me. This is an entirely hypothetical situation." She stated, all business like.

"Sure." Carl snorted. "Sure, it is."

This wasn't turning out how she had hoped. She'd hoped for a lame response from Michonne, preferably one that made her realize Daryl didn't and wouldn't ever like her back. And, if she were very lucky, she'd realize in the process that she didn't like him at all like that. He was just a big brother, like Shawn had been. And then she grimaced… she never thought of Shawn like that. Bah.

"It is." Beth moaned, frustrated, taking off her shoes and massaging her feet. "It is hypothetical."

Michonne laid down beside her, taking in the stars that chose to shine bright that night. It was a rarity those days. "It's only hypothetical if you want. Contrary to popular belief – and by popular, I mean Daryl and only Daryl - , he's quite the gentleman, and won't move a finger unless you want him too."

Beth smiled a little bit, and only to herself.

Carl groaned. "Girls."

Michonne slapped the back of his head, ruffling his hair afterwards. "You'll like them someday."

Beth snorted. "He already does. Ain't that right, mister?"

That shut him up. Beth and Michonne chuckled, and Beth sighed as she contemplated all that had been said. All in all, at the end of the day, she wondered if she would ever be lucky enough to get to be with a man like Daryl.

TWD

Daryl wanted everything but to be where he was. All he heard around him were dirty jokes and manly-man remarks, which only made him focuse more on what he wanted to forget. It was true what they said about the forbidden fruit… damn, he was screwed.

"Gonna take a walk."

Glenn stood up with him. "Going with you."

"Nah… Eh, what the hell." He shrugged it off, since he knew Glenn wouldn't be dissuaded by his less than friendly demeanor.

They abandoned the group, which completely disregarded their announcement, save for Rick, who just told them to be safe. Settling for a spot near the water, Daryl sat down and groaned in frustration. Yeah, he was doomed.

"You wanna talk about it?" The Asian asked, quietly, intent on watching the flowless stream without disrupting its apparent peace.

"Not particularly, no." Daryl grunted in response.

"Suit yourself." He chuckled, but then his tone turned serious. "You know, I'd give anything, literally anything for Maggie to be here."

" 'S not the same, and ya know it." He ripped some of the tall grass from the muddy ground. "Not the same at all."

He didn't want people to convince him it was okay for him to like Beth any differently than he would a little sister. He didn't want them to make the effort, because he sure as hell wasn't ready to… he wouldn't be able to bear losing her now, and this was without untangling his complicated web of feelings. He wasn't ready.

"No, it's not." He agreed, and then punched the redneck's shoulder. "It's way fucking easier, asshole."

"How d'ya figure that, Einstein?"

"Maggie and I… we have a whole stream of those damned walkers between us. There's me, then there's a bunch of blood-sucking, ugly as hell creatures, and only then is my girl. My kick-ass girl, I might add." He smiled fondly, and then sighed, patting him in the back. "You're letting a world that doesn't exist anymore ruin your chance at happiness. She makes you happy… what else is there to think about?"

Daryl listened to him in silence. He'd intended not to hear what Glenn had to say, because he knew he was a hopeless romantic and therefore he'd be completely useless, but halfway through the conversation, he found himself contemplating it. There was no denying that she could do better. She was so damn innocent… well, as innocent as one could be after being kidnapped and beaten. Daryl winced at the thought. She was way more than he deserved. But maybe, just maybe… maybe he'd dare hope for once.

"We all could do with a daily dose of happy-Daryl more often than not. You're creepy grumpy when things don't go your way, man."

Daryl punched him back in the arm. "Funny."

"She makes ya happy." He smiled. "Stop making excuses, before you ruin it yourself."

**A/N: So, this chapter was lighter than the rest. I wanted to change the tone a bit, make it fluffier and add a little interaction between them and the group, before it all turned to shambles (bad or good!) in the chapters to come. I also wanted to show you what I think they'd think in this situation, hence this highly reflexive chapter.**

**What did you guys think? Is there anything you'd like me to include?**

**THANK YOU for your amazing reviews, and favorites, and follows… they truly make my day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: They obviously have some issues to get out of the way, and this chapter was intended for them to be put in a situation in which they really have no other choice but to talk about them.**

Daryl knew it was complete nonsense to be thinking of a hypothetical love-life in the midst of a freaking zombie apocalypse, but he was. He thought to himself, in a very, very silent inner voice, of how amazing it would feel to have Beth belong to no-one else but him. Not that he'd ever own her… no, he just didn't want her to be anyone else's. As long as she didn't look at anyone else, he'd be happy. He didn't need a written commitment. Of course, that's not how life works, and the mastermind behind all life's plans must have sensed that Daryl needed a little push, because the redneck found himself in quite a bit of trouble it wasn't even noon.

TWD

The alarm was raised in a second. Len shouted, "WALKER!", and before they knew it, everyone went into full-panic mode glancing everywhere. They didn't see anything. Daryl looked at every single corner of the camp, and even though the sun allowed for perfect visibility, he saw none of those hellish creatures. With a gasp, he realized he also didn't see Beth anywhere.

"She ain't here." He stuttered, only loud enough for Rick and Glenn to hear. He went over to her stuff, and saw only her tiny bag. "Where the fuck is she?"

"Walker!" Len shouted again, his voice sounding very far away, and Daryl eyed the man, annoyed, not understanding why he kept shouting instead of killing the thing himself. Glancing at the man, he followed the latter's gaze and realized the walker had come from the water. It had risen literally from the water, and its wobbling head was fixed on something he couldn't quite distinguish. Until he could.

"BETH!"

The blonde didn't hear him. That was the downside of the place – it was big enough so that they didn't step on each other's toes, and they could see nearly everyone without so much as squinting their eyes, but to get yourself heard from one side to the other – that was the problem.

Beth was washing her clothes. She'd been really insistent about it the night before, but Michonne had reasoned with her: there was no use in putting yourself in the line of more danger than necessary. They'd agreed that it was safer with the sun up in the sky, and presumably more enjoyable as well. Daryl saw her washing her socks, her feet in the water, and his heart stopped. She didn't see the walker at all. It was rapidly approaching her, and she didn't move a muscle. He prayed that she looked back…

And all the desperation he'd felt back when he'd lost her resurfaced. Without even realizing it, he'd started running in her direction. He couldn't lose her; he simply wouldn't bear it. He imagined she would be singing, happily, and her soft notes would overpower the sound of the walker's limbs moving the water. Damn it, why didn't she look back?

He was running out of breath. It wasn't even that big a distance to cover, but the panic was so that he didn't manage his breathing well. He was about ten feet away from her when she suddenly took her knife from her pocket and, as swiftly as he'd ever seen her, stabbed the walker in the brain.

Everything stopped. He could hear the group cheering behind him, and he could even make out some whistling. It didn't matter. He stopped in his tracks and sat down, panting from fear and exhaustion. Covering his face with his hands, he allowed himself a moment to breathe.

TWD

Joe had started walking towards Daryl, but Rick had denied him the access, placing a firm hand on the man's shoulder. "Let him be. He needs this."

TWD

With his eyes closed, he heard light steps coming his way. He just knew they were Beth's. Keeping his face hidden – he didn't know if out of lack of strength to lift it, or sheer embarrassment - , he told her. "Ya did good, girl."

"Thanks." He heard her, a slight edge to her voice, and he wondered why on earth she sounded pissed.

He chanced opening one eye and staring tentatively at her. "Everythin' okay?"

She had her arms crossed over her chest, and her posture wasn't friendly in the least. "You tell me."

Daryl sighed and laid back on the grass, his elbows supporting him. "Dunno what ya mean." She really was going to be the death of him.

TWD

It took Beth a while to see the walker waddling towards her. It took her far more than she would have hoped, and that angered her, more than anything. She had been thinking about all the things she shouldn't have, and the results were out there for people to see. There was no room for romance in this world. She'd been humming to herself, torn between feeling melancholic due to Daryl's apparent lack of interest, or feeding the daydreams that kept her hopeful despite all of that. All in all, she had been thinking about Daryl, and the universe had sent her a sign.

As soon as she heard a little splash, she was on her feet, and had a knife on her hand ready to end the walker's _life_. It didn't even bother her that much. The knife was in and out, and she didn't even blink; she couldn't afford to feel or think, and she merely washed the splashed rotting blood off her face with a swift movement. It was okay. It was shat she had to do now. The lump in her throat only meant that she was starting to become one of them – a self-dependent survivor.

But then she'd seen Daryl sprint towards her, and something stirred inside her. Hot tears sprung to her eyes, and she'd felt the urge to purse her lips to avoid screaming. It scared her how out of control she was. She'd killed the walker, and had never been in any real danger; she thought he would have been proud. But no… he'd been scared for her. He had no faith in her. And his lack of faith was contagious; it made her self-confidence vanish into thin air – and she wasn't ready to feel so vulnerable again.

So, she stormed towards him, intent on giving him a piece of her mind. He wanted nothing to do with her romantically – it was okay, no-one was asking that of him anymore. But he had no right to make her feel useless. She was no damsel in distress, especially when there had only been one walker. If he didn't trust her to survive one walker, how would he ever believe in her at all? She was better than that.

He was eyeing her, defeated, his whole body stiff as she attempted to look mad at him. She wanted him to understand: she welcomed his help, but she was no little girl, and she wanted him to see her as the woman she'd grown up to be. She'd killed a man. How much more grown-up can a person get?

"Don't act stupid with me, Daryl." She asked – almost begged, though she immediately removed the begging edge to her tone.

"I'm not, girl."

Beth inhaled and closed her eyes. "What'cha running down here for?" As he didn't answer her, she pressed on. "Tryin' to save me or somethin'?"

"Or somethin'." Daryl looked confused, and she knew he was trying to understand her tone. She hadn't expected him to, but it also hurt to see that he really didn't.

"T'was only a walker." She stated. "Only one freaking walker. Ain't I better than that?"

It was a question, a simple question, but she needed to know the answer. He just eyed her, helpless. "Can't I worry about ya now?" He mumbled, and then his tone rose. "Are ya such a big girl now that I can't worry about ya?"

"Of course ya can. That's a dumb question." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, it don't seem so, since ya're ready to bite my head off." He punched the grass and stood up. "Don't have time for ya stuff, girl. Just do whatever the fuck ya want. I'm out."

Beth laughed humourlessly. "Oh, but you were out quite some time before now, weren't you?"

"Ya seem to know everything, so if you say so…"

"Don't be like that! What did I ever do to you?" She punched his chest, but he never flinched. "You don't look at me anymore! I don't get to be with you anymore, we don't joke around, or talk, or even walk side by side in silence…" She cried, angry tears falling down her cheek. "I came back for you. I did, it's true. And I thought we were something, was stupid enough to think that. But then you don't say anything, and I feel worse than I did before." She sobbed once, and recomposed herself quickly. She whispered. "I have you back, but… no, not really. And now you say you wanna protect me? You don't get to protect me! If I'm alone, then I'm really alone. I depend on myself. And you don't get to protect me." She lowered her head into his chest, and just let the tears fall. "I'm sorry I kissed you."

All the moments of pain, all the seconds of laugh, all the times when they smiled to hide the sadness… they all came flooding back. She was damaged. He wanted to fix her… Beth wasn't ready to be fixed. She needed time.

"I'm not…" He cleared his throat, and mumbled into her hair. "I'm not sorry about the kiss."

Beth looked up, and as soon as a tiny smile tugged at her lips, they started trembling and she wiped her eyes. "Then… what?"

Daryl hugged her, not too strongly, but firmly enough for her to just lay there in his arms. He sighed and told her quietly. "I'm not ready to lose ya again. I know it's foolish o'me to want ya near me all the time, but it's the only way I can ever feel safe'gain. And if that's impossible, then, well, just lemme be there for ya when you're in the line of fire. Like now." He hugged her tighter. "Ya had him… but I wasn't willing to take that chance."

"Dammit, Daryl…" She hugged him back. "If this is gonna work, you have to talk to me. Okay?"

"'Kay."

They stood there, unmoving, for quite some time. They'd both exploded, their frustration culminating in a screaming match, but they were getting to a better place. Daryl didn't have the heart to tell her he wasn't sure about the whole relationship idea, and she wanted everything but for him to know how broken she really was. They were both fragile in their own way, and they both knew it. That's why there was a sense of security hanging over their heads – none of them were big talkers, at the end of the day, but they both knew what the other needed. Neither problems would disappear overnight; maybe they'd just enjoy the day.

"You kick ass, girl." He tickled her belly, to lighten the mood, and she chuckled through the strangled tears.

"Learned from the best."

And then he kissed her.

**A/N: Damn. I read somewhere that Beth's fate isn't looking too good right now – it was enough to kill my muse for quite some time. I only just revived her, but I'm still not too happy with this chapter. Might make some adjustments later on.**

**Sorry if there are any mistakes… I'm really not in my best frame of mind. But I just wanted to give you guys some little fluff until I get my muse fully revived… it turns out it's way more difficult than one would have thought.**

**Hope you tell me what you think, but don't be too hard on me :p writer's block is a b****. Hihi**

**Kisses!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I find that it keeps my muse happy to hear Beth's cover of Hold on while I write ;) Hope you enjoy! Read and review****

It was liberating to kiss Beth in front of all those people. To really kiss her, and hold her, and have her understand his mini freak-out in the middle of the romantic gesture and pull him even closer – she knew him, and she'd be there for him. They were establishing something, something they didn't want to label just yet, but the meaning was quite clear: Beth wasn't to be messed with.

TWD

Two whole days passed, with their journey being nothing short of blissful, at least in Daryl and Beth's eyes – which could certainly be biased in the matter. Daryl went on hunting parties, smacked a few walkers right in the brain, and set up camp twice, all the while stealing glances from Beth. They liked the fact that nobody talked about it, yet they all knew. They didn't need to pretend not to like the blush that crept onto Beth's cheeks every time Daryl twirled her ponytail as if no-one was looking, or the smile that tugged at Daryl's lips whenever Beth handed them all berries but locked eyes with Daryl for the entire time. Neither the group, nor the couple in question, minded the distraction. They had all gone through some quite shitty moments, and innocent moments like these just reminded them that not all was lost. Even if people like Len and Eugene liked to mess with them. Beth just laughed it off, but Daryl couldn't help but grunt their way. They were giving it a try, but the whole romance thing was still new to Daryl. He was used to having her depending on him for safety, but when it came to romantic gestures, he was only one step above clueless… and even though he was trying to be more open about his feelings, it wouldn't happen overnight, so he just hoped Beth would meet him halfway.

TWD

Beth had become increasingly excited about their hopefully imminent arrival at Terminus. They were close, they could feel it.

"I can't wait to see Maggie." She confessed quietly as they walked side by side. They were passing a particularly narrow path, and Daryl kept one eye on the trees and another on the blonde. They could never be too careful.

"Yeah." He nodded. " 'Bet. Glenn's close to bouncin' by now."

She smiled fondly. "It will be a lovely reunion."

He let the silence settle in, and took in her wondering expression. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure, and Beth eyed him, smirking.

"Let's have it."

" 'S nothing." He mumbled, shrugging.

"Da-ryl." Beth whined. "I thought we were past the whole not-talking thing. I'm not a mind reader…" She pouted.

"Argh…" He groaned. "We gotta talk about everything?"

"No. Just the things that bother you." She raised a knowing eyebrow at him.

Daryl shrugged. "Was just thinkin', y'know…" He wet his lips and put an arm over her shoulders. "Ain't you the tiniest bit sad that Maggie… well, that she ain't left nothin' for ya? Like she did for Glenn, I mean…" He felt her tense, and instantly regretted bringing it up. He just worried that she was getting her hopes up for nothing, for one, and that she wasn't processing things as they came… which meant that it was very possible she'd be overwhelmed by information in just a few days. And then she'd be screwed.

TWD

Beth had repressed an unsurmountable amount of feelings ever since she and Daryl had been separated. She quickly realized that feelings held her back if she had no-one by her side to comfort her when they got too bad. When she'd left the man for dead, she'd felt like crying, screaming, kicking, punching something for the first few seconds; then she'd just picked up her knife and walked around the limp body. After that, she hadn't felt much. Until she found Daryl again… but even then, she wasn't back to her old self. So when Daryl asked her about her sister's messages, she just repressed even deeper the sting that made her want to suddenly cry, and focused on flashing a grin in his direction.

"I'm so glad she's okay."

He shook his head. "Not what I asked."

She shook her head as well, now glancing at the floor and walking at a more rapid pace. "Well, I'm sticking to my answer."

"Then why even bother to ask?" He snapped, and immediately flinched, for instantaneous tears filled her eyes. "Oh, Beth, 'm sorry… Damn."

"No, no. You're right." She never looked up, and hoped he didn't hear the shakiness in her words, trying to sound as detached as possible, her eyes vacant as they stared at the passing fallen leaves on the ground. "I'm sad she didn't leave one for me. I'll get over it."

And just as she was about to tell him to drop it, his hand collided with hers and he entwined his fingers in hers. Her eyelashes fluttered, stunned, but she kept her cool. He was everything but smooth, and she felt the urge to chuckle through her tears. He wanted to let her know that he wan't buying it, but he wasn't going to insist, either. Squeezing his hand back, she hoped he would understand that no, she wasn't okay, but that she would eventually be.

" 'm here." He murmured, eyes transfixed on the road ahead.

"I know." She went on the tip of her toes and kissed his cheek, quite soundly, giggling afterwards, and wrinkling her nose at the sound – sobs mixed with laughter. "You always are."

He moved his hand to her waist and pulled her close. "What can I say… 'm the biggest gentleman around here."

"Eh… not a huge achievement when the majority of the population is a rotting corpse." She smirked, and as he squinted his eyes, she ran forward to avoid what she knew would be a nasty, horrible, terrifying tickling attack.

Smiling as she collided with an astonished, and yet amused Rick, she thought of just how much Daryl meant to her. Genuine smiles were high in demand those days, and yet he could always bring one out of her in the blink of an eye.

TWD

They'd just passed another Terminus sign, and it was getting darker; soon they'd have to stop. They were all minding their own businesses. Rick and Abraham were discussing just what their approach to the people in Terminus should be. They needed to be assertive and inform them right away of their independence: trust was, more than ever, earned, and they shouldn't expect more from the group than they were willing to give. That had actually been a concern in the back of their minds ever since they heard of the sanctuary. They'd been on the run for so long, and they'd just recently had to adapt to a new group… it wouldn't be easy to integrate a new community and accept all it entailed.

Beth was in the middle of the group, with Rosita and Michonne, and the older women were just speaking of senseless things, while Beth was quite content listening.

All of a sudden, Joe yelled. "Walker!"

Daryl's reaction was immediate: he first looked to see that Beth was safe, and then glanced around in search of the damned thing. He spotted a body on the grass a few metres in front of them, and walked swiftly over to it, along with Rick, Abraham and Joe.

When they reached the fallen body, Beth, who had slowly approached the men, heard the four of them gasp, and leaned in to take a closer look and to try to understand why none of them had killed the thing yet. She wasn't prepared to see what she saw.

A man, in his early thirties, with dark skin, was covered in blood, and Beth hadn't ever seen that much blood in the same place. His clothes were drenched in that red, almost brown, thick liquid, and his eyes were yellow and wide open. The man only had one arm, and the other one had been recently torn off. He had at least four bullet wounds and one stab-wound, and one of his legs was clearly sporting an open fracture.

"Who…" Abraham cleared his throat, while motioning for everyone to take a step back. "Who are you?"

The man just blinked rapidly, shivering from fear and blood loss. Abraham pushed.

"Who did this to you? Was it the walkers, son?"

The man's mouth started shaking as he visibly attempted to talk. Rick and Joe leaned in closer, and their faces whitened at the dying man's stuttering. "T… T… Terminus."

Before they could do or say anything, Len, who had just approached them, stabbed the man in the brain. Shocked, the group watched as the man's eyes went upwards, and then closed completely.

**A/N: Eheh… what did you guys think? What implications will this have on the group?  
Kiss kiss*****


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